Thursday’s UEFA Champions League draw will feature four debutants as the competition welcomes fresh faces to Europe’s biggest stage. Pafos FC (Cyprus), Bodo/Glimt (Norway), Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium), and Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) have all secured historic qualifications after stunning performances in the playoff rounds.
For Pafos FC, founded just 11 years ago, qualification is nothing short of a fairy tale. The Cypriot side shocked Red Star Belgrade, holding them to a 1-1 draw in Serbia to seal a dramatic 3-2 aggregate victory. Their meteoric rise has already turned them into one of the stories of the season.
Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt also wrote history, cruising past Sturm Graz with a commanding 6-2 aggregate scoreline, despite losing the return leg 2-1. The club, known for its attacking flair, will now test its mettle against Europe’s giants in the league phase.
Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, who have been knocking on the door of European glory in recent years, finally broke through after outlasting Celtic in a dramatic penalty shootout. Their qualification is being celebrated as a landmark moment in Belgian football, adding further strength to the country’s resurgence in continental competitions.
The final fairytale came from Kairat Almaty, who edged Celtic on penalties to become only the second Kazakh club ever to qualify for the Champions League, following in the footsteps of Astana’s 2015 run. Their success has been hailed as a boost for football in Central Asia, a region often overlooked in Europe’s elite competitions.
The arrival of these four debutants is expected to shake up the new Champions League league-phase format, replacing the traditional group stages. UEFA officials anticipate that their inclusion will add unpredictability and excitement, offering fans across Europe and beyond fresh matchups and underdog stories to follow.
For supporters of the debut clubs, Thursday’s draw in Monaco will be more than just balls pulled out of a pot — it will be the fulfillment of dreams, decades in the making. Whether they advance far or fall early, their journey into Europe’s top tier has already etched their names into Champions League history.
